Full focus on IB

With its total commitment to the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate Programme including a strong sense of Internationalism St Leonard’s has established itself as a very strong IB school. Students are extremely well prepared for the IB Diploma (or GCSE’s/Pre-IB) and repeatedly the average grades are internationally competitive. The town may be relatively small but the school provides a modern global outlook in all that it offers. In December 2025 the school was named as the Scottish Independent Secondary School of the Year for Academic Excellence in the Sunday Times Parent Power Guide. This award reflected not only academic achievements but the school’s commitment to providing learning opportunities both in and out of the classroom. St Leonard’s prides itself on offering and delivering an all round education and whilst it has a very strong reputation for sport the opportunities and performance in the music and arts departments should not be overlooked, the school strongly supports all aspects of the wider curriculum.

Golf Academy for professionals and amateurs.

Many families both within the UK and from overseas are attracted to St Leonard’s by golf. The St Leonard’s Golf Programme encourages both advanced golfers and relative beginners with the required support to suit the individual’s objectives and capabilities. The programme is played and taught on the world famous golf courses of St Andrew’s. Elite players are individually guided by golf coaches and the golf academy offers first-class equipment - from 3D biomechanics analysis, putting training with SAM Putt Lab to training on indoor courses.

The school firmly recognises that not all of the students wish to prioritise golf and it offers and delivers a varied sporting program including the usual team sports. In addition the sporting options make use of the coastal location and windsurfing, kayaking and sailing are available options. The school is particularly strong in providing learning opportunities in outdoor education.

St Andrew’s

Whilst the town of St Andrew’s will always be associated with golf with many visitors wishing to visit the famous Old Course, the first golf course in the world, it is easy to forget that the town itself is a beautiful safe coastal town. The historic university with its broad teaching programme and exciting guest lectures helps provide an academic backdrop beyond golf courses and the sea. The medieval streets provide a thoughtful student cafe culture with the old buildings such as the ruins of the cathedral and castle helping to give the town an up market feel. When combined with the nearby kilometres of sandy beaches and sand dunes St Andrews can offer a near perfect location for a boarding school.

School campus and boarding houses.

Boarding is an essential part of St Leonard’s. The school is very proud of its achievements as a centre of excellence for boarding research with a particular focus on supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Boarding at the school creates a sense of belonging and a real family feel, the three boarding houses are all within the walls of the historic seaside campus and all have benefited from recent major investment, the facilities are superb. The boarding houses are open during the homecoming weekends so those who wish to stay in school can do so. The school is committed to providing an integrated environment for both the UK and International pupils.

Famous Alumni

Penny Thomson (Former Director of the Edinburgh Film Festival), Audrey Withers (Former Editor of Vogue Magazine)